Environmental Law and Policy Center » Mississippi River Protection

ELPC’s Albert Ettinger Explains how Chicago Contributes to the Gulf Dead Zone

pgray — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:27:08 +0000

Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the Mississippi river basin is creating a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is roughly the size of New Jersey. The dead zone is a major problem for aquatic life and the fishing industry.

ELPC Senior Attorney Albert Ettinger spoke to Chicago Public Radio about how Chicago is one of the largest single contributors of dead zone pollution and what needs to be done to alleviate the problem.

Listen to the story here

ELPC Calls on US EPA to Reduce Pollutants into Gulf Dead Zone

elpc — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:21:51 +0000

July 30, 2008 – ELPC and conservation groups from nine states bordering the Mississippi River petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, asking the agency to take concrete steps to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi River basin. Read the press release or petition.

Mississippi River Protection

elpc — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:40:07 +0000

The Mississippi River provides drinking water for over 18 million people. It is an important cultural, recreational, economic, and wildlife resource. Each summer, however, a “Dead Zone” roughly the size of the state of Massachusetts forms in the Gulf of Mexico at the river’s south end. In 2005, ELPC joined the Water Quality Collaborative, a diverse group of regional and national non-profit organizations devoted to improving the health of our nation’s largest river.

Several factors impede the health of the Mississippi River. Inadequate government oversight, lack of coordination among non-profit organizations, and lack of federal protection from agricultural runoff makes restoring the river very difficult. Agricultural runoff is the primary source of excess sediments and nutrients in the Mississippi River. Fertilizers accumulating in the Gulf of Mexico allow plants to grow to excess, starving the waters of oxygen and killing fish and wildlife. Each summer, this creates a “Dead Zone” roughly the size of Massachusetts in the Gulf.

More than 20 regional and national non-profit organizations comprise the Water Quality Collaborative. This provides a special opportunity for member organizations to build off one another’s strengths. Working as a unified group with shared goals will fill knowledge gaps and extend the resources of the various groups beyond traditional boundaries.